Feeding device for cans



Dec. 19, 1922.

w.,H. HUNTER-ET AL. Fas-DING uevlce Fon cANs.

FILED DEC-16.1921.

3 SHEETS-SHED 2.

ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,550.

W. H. HUNTER ET AL.

FEEnlNG DEVICE Foa cANs.

FILED DEC. I6. 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

` ATTORNEY Patented i9,

WALTER n. HUNTER ann nironrlsnaiir, or iiononnno, .'rnnnIroaYoI HAWAII.

manine nnvrcn Fon. cans.

Application filed December 16, 1921. Serial` No. 522,777.

To all whom t may conce/m .l p

Be it known that we, YVAL'LER H. HUNTER and liiioi-ir SEMI, a citirenl of Canada and a subject of the Emperor of Japan, respectively, residing at Honolulu, erritory of Hawaii, have invented lcerta-in newl and use-l ful lmprovements in Feeding Devices for (Jans, and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v n Y' Theinvention relates to a simple and'effece tive apparatus for feeding-'cans for similar cylindrical objects. at properly spaced intervals to a labeling machine or other form of apparatus for subsequently treatingtlie cans. To this end the invention comprises a rack, preferably mounted at an angle to the vertical adapted to receive multiple rows of cans in end to end stackedl relation, the

back `wall of the rack being cut laway to permit the lowermostcan in each stack to be ejected, the bottoni of the rack being slotted to permit the `passage of a series of fingers, mounted upon a rotary shaft whichV engage the `lowermost cans ofthe. several stacks and force saidv cans laterally on to an inclined shelf, along which they slide and are ultimately delivered to an inclined runway, communicating with thel feed. chutev or elevator of` a labeling machine'or other apparatus in which the cans are subsequently treated, the cans kbeingdelivered into the runway with their longitudinal axes horizontal, so that the cans rollA down the runway in properly spaced relation.V These and other novel features of the invention will appear from the annexed specification based upon the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is chine; p

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section;

Fig. 3 is an end View.;

Fig. 4t is a plan view;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view' of the rack and the tray .for supplying the stacks of cans thereto; .v

F ig. 6 is a partial sectional plan view on line 6-46 of Fig. 3, and I v Fig. 7 is a partial planview of one of the transporting trays applied in conjunctionwith the feeder.

Referring to the drawings, 1` indicates a supporting framework, preferably madel up of angle iron sections provided with reara front elevation of the maf-k cans` is bottom plate 13, which isvprefery ably entended beyond the back plate, and is provided in its front edge with a series of lots 14:.

-ln order to retain the stacks of cans in properly spaced parallel relation, and to permit the lowermost cans of each stack to be Asuccessively 'ejected fromr the rack, the latter is divided into a series of open commitments by securing on the face of said back plate 10 a seriesy of `U-'shaped troughs 12, the bottomsofwhich are fastened to the back plate by any suitable means and the side anges of which'extend over the inter-v vening space between the lower edge of the back" plate and the bottom plate 13. The severalftrough-lilre members 12 lare spaced apart a distance slightly greater than' the diameter of the'can, or substantially equal to the width of the vtrough-like members betweenv the side flanges thereof, so that one stack of cans occupies each of the troughs 12 and the 'adjacent stack' of cans occupies the space f between the successive-troughs whereby the several cans yin .each stack are accurately'guided in their downward movement in the rack. between the flangesl ofthe troughs 12. J r# 1 Mounted longitudinally of the frame y1 is a runway 3, havingits bottom inclined in the direction ofk its length and provided with vertical sides,l the side'- toward the fronty of the machine having an inclined section 4 atits upper .end which is connected with and forms a continuation; of the inclined bottom 13 of the rack. rlhe lower. or discharge enoll ofthe runway. 3', connects with achute 3., vwhich mayflead directly to a labeling machine or to an `elevator or other device for delivering the cans successively to a labeling machine or other form of apparatus for subsequently operating upon the cans.

Journaled infsuitable bearings 17, on the front partv of the frame 1 andin substantial each of said fingers 16 being mounted opposite a corresponding slot 14 in the bottom plate of the rack, so that'when the vshaft 15 is rotated the several fingers 16 will engage the sides of the lowermost cans of each of the stacks and eject said cans'through the opening in the back plate 10, whereby when said lower-most cans are free of theweight of the superposed stacks, the cans will slide freely upon;k the extension of the bottom plate 13 and over the inclined side 4 of the runway and drop from. the latter into the runway, each can in its transit being turned through an angle of substantially ninety degrees, yso that when it reaches the bottom of the runway it will rest on its side in rolling relation, and the several cans will roll down the runway in properly spaced arrangement to be fed to the labeling machine. During the ejecting operation the lingers 16 pass freely through the slots 14 in the forward portion of the base plate 13and when each of the lowermost cans is freed from its stack the corresponding linger will have passed out` ci' the cooperating slot, so that the remainder of the cans in the stack slide downward in the rack until the bottom can rests on the bottomy 13 of the raclrin position to be ejected by the next revolution of the shaft 15. The shaft 15 maybe driven by any suitable mechanism and that illustrat'ed in the drawings comprises a sprocket wheel 18 mounted on one end ofv the shaft, which is actuated by a sprocket chain 19 driven froma sprocket 4wheel 2O mounted upon a shaft 21 mounted in a journal bearT ing 22 secured to the front of the back plate of the rack 10, said shaft 21 being provided with: a. suitable crank or handle 23.

As a matter of convenience yfor supplying the cans to the racl: in properly spaced parallel stacks, the cans are assembled in trays of' thel character shown in `Figs. 5 and 7, each tray comprising side `frame members 30, end members 31,. bottom` longitudinals 32, and cross slats 33, the-latter beingso spaced yas to support staclrs'of cans in' parallel rows, in the manner illustrated in Fig.` 7, so that Twhen* a tray filled with cans is supported at onelongitudinal edge upon brackets 25 mounted on the 'front and adjacent to the lower end of the rack, and said tray is tilted upward .and backward, the several stacks of cans Ywill be ydischarged from the tray into andk between the troughlike elements 12 on the plate 10 of the'raclr. The tray is then removed and the machine is vready for operation.

After several stacks of cans have been supplied to the machine, shaft 15 is rotated through the crank 23 and the connecting sprocket gearing, which causes the ejector fingers 16 to pass through the slots 14 in the bottom plate of the rack, each fingerengaging the lowermost can of the corresponding stackand forcing the' can out of the stack and over the inclined bottom 13v of the rack, whence it slides on to the inclined section 4 of the runway and drops into the runway in rolling position, the several cans rolling down the runway in properly spaced relation for feeding to the labeling machine. ln the particular embodiment of the machine illustrated, the rack is adapted to receive twelve stacks of ten cans each and twelve cans are 4ejected from the corresponding stacks and delivered in properly spaced relation into the runway for each rotationof the shaft 15. ltl will be seen, therefore, that the machine not only accurately times and spaces the feeding of the cans, but enables them to be fed at a much more rapid rate than any possible realization under the present hand vfeeding methods or even with the automatic or semiautomatic machines heretofore employed forthis purpose.

What we claim is:

1. A can feeding apparatus comprising a. raclr adapted. to reoeivea series of rows of cans in stacked relation, a runway below the rack, vand means for successively ejecting the lowermost can in each stach from the rack into `the runway.

2.121 can vfeeding apparatus comprising a raclrincluding, a back plate andy a bottom spaced from` the lower edgel ,thereofv a distance substantially equal to the height of a can, said rack adapted to receive a series of rows of cans in stacked relation,` a runway below the rack, and means for successively eject-ing the ,lowermostv can in each stack from the rack into the runway. f

3. A can feeding apparatus comprisingl a rack adaptedto receive a series of rows of cans in stacked relation, a runway below the rack, a downwardly inclined plate between the bottom ofthe rack and the runway, and means for successively. ejectingythe lower.- most can inu each stack rfrom the rack onto said plate.

4.A A can feeding apparatus comprisingja rack.r including a back plate and a 'bottom rspaced from the lower edge thereof distance substantially equal to the heightofy a can, said rack adaptedto receive a series of rows of ycans in stacked.relatimnarunway below the rack, a downwardly,inclined plate between the bottom of the rack andthe runway, and means for successively ejecting the I lowermost can in each stach from the .rack` onto saidr plate.

5. A can feeding apparatus' coinprisinga rack adapted to receive a series of rows of sans in stacked relation,` including a rearwardly inclined back plate and ai bottom norma-l thereto'and spaced from the lower edge thereofI a distance substantially equal to the height of a can, a runway below the rack, a downwardly inclined plate between llo the bottom ol the raclr and the runway, and a rotary shaft having ejector fingers thereon located below the rack, each linger adapted to engage and discharge the lowerrnost can in the adjacent staclr onto said inclined plate.

6. A can i'eeding apparatus comprising a rack adapted to receive a series of rows of cans in stacked relation, including a rearwardly inclined baclr plate and a bottoni normal thereto and spaced from the lower edge thereof a distance substantially equal to the height of the can7 sait bottom having slots thereon in alignment with the positions or the can stacks, a runway below the rack, a downwardly inclined plate between the bottoni of the rack and the runway7 and a rotary shaft having ejector lingers thereon mal to said back plate and spaced from the lower edge thereof a distance substantially equal to the height o'l' the can: said bottoni having slots therein in alignment with the positions of the can stacks, a runway below the rack, a downwardly inclined plate oetween the bottoni of the raclr and the runway, and a rotary shaft having ejector ngers thereon located below the raclr, said lingers passing through the slots in the rack bottom to engage and discharge the lowermost cans in the adjacent lstacks onto said plate.

8i A can feeding apparatus comprising a rack, including a rearwardly inclined plate having trough-like elements spaced in par allel relation and extending {'roin topto loottorn on the front face thereof and a bottom spaced from the lower edge of said baclr plate a distance substantially equal to the height of a can, the same being adapted to Y receive a series of rows of cans in stacked relation, a. runway below the rack, and means for successively ejecting the lowern'iost can in eachstaclr from the rack into the runway.

ln testimony whereof we atliX our signatures.

WALTER H. HUNTER. KHCHI SERAI. 

